Envelope, box, container, and such like



Sept. 17, 1935. J. HORSLEY ENVELOPE, BOX, CONTAINER AND SUCH LIKE 5 Sheets$heet 1 Filed Aug. 24, 1933 [ya e21 on Jan ffrmslez W Sept. 17, 1935. J. HORSLEY ENVELOPE, BOX, CONTAINER AND SUCH LIKE Filed Aug. 24, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZZ/8771(0) JZ/rii lqarsiej,

l l I I I I l L l I r l Sept. 17, 1935. J HORSLEY 2,015,013

I ENVELOPE, BOX, CONTAINER AND SUCH LIKE Filed Aug. 24, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 P v F163.

Patented Sept. 17, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ENVELOPE, BOX, CONTAINER, AND SUCH LIKE John Horsley, Glasgow, Scotland Application August 24, 1933, Serial No. 686,607 In Great Britain September 10, 1932 1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in and connected with envelopes, boxes, containers, and such like, and which I shall hereinafter designate envelopes; and has for its object inter alia,

the provision of a most effective means of closing envelopes by which the tampering with letters 'will be readily detected. With the existing means of closing envelopes, it is very easy to open them, examine the contents therein and extract orders, cheques, and valuable enclosures,

as is very frequently done. With my improvements, however, this would be absolutely impossible without detection, all as hereinafter described with reference to the drawings and pointed out in the claim.

In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into effect, I have hereunto appended three sheets of drawings, of which Figure 1 is a view looking on flap of envelope.

Figure la is a fragmentary rear view of the envelope and the flap in raised position with the plates attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a view looking on back of envelope.

Figure 2a, is a fragmentary front view of the envelope with parts broken away to show the plates attached thereto in locked position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the flap on Figure 1 joined to the back of the envelope on Figure 2.

Figure 3a is a perspective View of the plate which is connected to the flap of the envelope.

Figure 3b is a perspective View of the plate which is connected to the back of the envelope.

Figure 4 is a, view showing the back of an envelope with a modified fastener.

Figure 5 is a front and side view of the part attached to the flap of the envelope shown on Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a front and side view of the part attached to back of envelope shown on Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a back view of an open envelope showing an attachment which grips or holds the enclosures or contents so that they cannot be removed.

Figure 8 is a back view of envelope open, showing slightly modified form of fastening.

Figure 9 is a side view of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a similar view to Figure 8 showing slightly modified form of attachment for gripping or holding the contents or enclosures.

Figure 11 is a side view of Figure 10.

According to my invention, and referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, I provide a thin plate A of any suitable size, shape or design and of any suitable metal or material having parallel slits B formed thereon, the part between said slits B bent to form an eye or catch C, the use of which will be hereinafter described, the plate A being also provided with a projecting 5 piece D, particularly shown in side view Figure 3a, by which it is fixed to the outside of flap E of the envelope. A further plate G of springy material is also provided having a slot H formed thereon, this plate G tapering towards its lower 10 end, and having also a projecting piece D, as described above, by which it is fixed to the inside of the back part of the envelope F immediately underneath the plate A attached to the flap E of the envelope F. The plate G is also pierced 15 or punched to form the projecting pieces H which provide a space or housing down the centre between it and the inside face of that part of the envelope F to which it is attached. A rod or strip. J is provided, the inner end of which is 20 passed into this space or housing.

The modus operandi is as follows:

Assume a plate A is fixed to the flap E of the envelope F, and the other plate G to the inside of the lower part of the envelope F with the rod 25 or strip J passing through the space or housing thereon, after the contents are placed in the envelope F, the flap E is turned down when the eye-piece or catch C enters the slot H in the plate G on the bottom part of the envelope F, 3 and so the flap E becomes fixed to the body of the envelope F. The strip or rod J inside is then pushed upwards when it passes through the eye or catch 0 on the plate A, and thus absolutely fixing the flap E to the body of the envelope F, 3 whereby it, the envelope, cannot be opened without detection or destruction thereof.

In place of pushing the rod or strip J upwards, it may be arranged to be pushed downwards, or sideways, by having the plates turned in the 40 opposite direction, or the plate A may be provided with a tongue K provided with suitably shaped small projections or barbs L which when entered in the housing formed in the plate G cannot be pulled out again owing to the barbs L 45 catching on the projecting pieces H, see Figures 4, 5 and 6.

To guard against the extraction of the contents from the envelope, I provide a spring-clip or band M which is placed over the contents N, one end of the band M being attached to or forming part of the plate G on the lower part of the back of the envelope F, the other end being in the form of a clip M so that in attempting to remove the contents N, they will come up against the clip M 55 and so are thereby prevented from being removed and could not be unless by the destruction of the envelope, see Figure 7.

Referring to Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, an eyelet P with an outward projection or barb is fixed to the inside back of the envelope F, and is held in position by a plate 0, or otherwise. A similar eyelet P is provided in the flap E of the envelope, and a coloured seal Q may also be attached to the outside of the flap E. When the flap E is turned down with the view of closing the envelope F, the two eyelets P are opposite each other, and, when pressure is applied, the projection or barb of one eyelet fits into the other, and so the envelope F becomes closed against being tampered with without detection. The eyelet P in the flap may be dispensed with, and in such case, when pressure is applied, the projection or barb on the eyelet P on the back of the envelope F would be forced through the opening in the flap E and close the envelope as before mentioned.

Referring to Figures 10 and 11 of the drawings, which show a slight modification to Figure '7 where there are enclosures, in this case the clip or band M is provided with an upper eyelet S for attachment of the band M to the back of the envelope F, the bottom eyelet P having an outward projection or barb by which the fiap E is fixed as hereinbefore described, the turned-over end M of the band M preventing the enclosure from being surreptitiously removed from the envelope, or the back part of flap may have an An envelope provided with a flap having a slot cut through the same, a thin sheet of metal having a pair of parallel slits formed thereon and the material between said slits bent to form an eye to pass inwardly through said slot provided in said fiap, the said sheet of metal having projecting lips to hold the same upon the outside of the fiap, a second sheet of springy material having projecting lips to hold the same upon the inside of the back of the envelope, the back of said envelope and the second sheet of springy material each having a slot cut therethrough to register with one another for inserting the said in wardly projecting eye, the said second sheet of springy material having a plurality of pairs of parallel slits formed thereon and the material between each of said pairs of slits bent to form a guideway, and an elongated key mounted to slide in said guideway and to pass through said projecting eye whereby to lock the back of the envelope and the fiap together.

JOHN HORSLEY. 

